best acoustic guitar for 700 dollars image
Jordannn
I've been playing for around two years but only on the acoustic. I like to finger pick a lot but I also play strumming songs too. I don't play much heavy rock but I do like to play rock on occasion. My budget is probably about 700 dollars. I just want one that is for general use but I still want a decent guitar and not some low budget one.
Answer
This would be my first choice. Hard to find an American made guitar in that price range. For $799 you can get a Gibson Les Paul Studio which is another good option. Both the Highway One Strat and LP Studio are American made.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/fender-highway-one-stratocaster-electric-guitar
This would be my first choice. Hard to find an American made guitar in that price range. For $799 you can get a Gibson Les Paul Studio which is another good option. Both the Highway One Strat and LP Studio are American made.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/fender-highway-one-stratocaster-electric-guitar
What steps should I take to start learning how to play the guitar?
allofthena
I'm not going to have a teacher available to learn how to play the guitar. Will that really affect how I learn how to play? I plan on devoting a good deal of time every day towards playing. I want to start with an electric guitar, not an acoustic, and would appreciate suggestions as to what brand and model of guitar are good starters, and also what kind of amp and any other accessories I may need. I have around a 700 dollar budget. Thank you in advance.
Answer
Each question in order:
1. Yes, not having a teacher will affect how you learn to play. Having a teacher at the outset--at least for a couple of lessons--is crucial. Only a good teacher can look at how you're holding the instrument, how you're fretting, and how you're plucking, and make corrections if needed.
The proper physical technique is essential. If you don't get it, it will slow you down horribly--not at first when you're slow anyway, but later on when you want to learn how to shred. In some cases, wrong physical technique will cause carpal tunnel or other joint/muscle maladies that will slow you down even worse.
And if you didn't know already, it's easier to learn something right the first time than it is to learn it wrong, then fight to un-learn it, and then re-learn it right.
So can I convince you to take part of that budget and hire a teacher--there ought to be one at your local all-service music store, or call a nearby university that has a guitar program--about $100 worth of lessons (say, every other week for 2 months) ought to set you up right? (I had only one stringed-instrument lesson in my life--on mandolin--from the guy who taught Joe Walsh--quality of instructor is important!)
After that, there are dozens of instruction cd-rom and dvd and books out there that will teach you the basics of guitar and of every different style of music.
2. When devoting time to playing, start slow--you're building up muscles and flexibility just like an athlete. It's a better idea to schedule several shorter practices per day; four half-hour sessions with a good rest between will give much more progress than a single three-hour session. Eventually you'll want to build up stamina, and so you'll slowly increase practice time 'til you can do a three-hour session with no trouble.
Set goals when practicing. The old cliche was "practice not for minutes, but for results."
3. If you want to go for new equipment, just about any mid-priced guitar or amp will do. Go off to the music store and tell the guy in the guitar and amp section that you're looking to start and then you'll be sitting down with a range of solid-bodies and amps. Take your time and find something that feels good under your own fingers and that sounds right to you.
With electric, the tone quality depends on pick-ups, amp, and effects. For $600 (remember I'm pulling off $100 for your lessons) you can get a rather decent guitar and amp; you could do even better if you have a knowledgable friend who can help you navigate the close-out section at http://www.musiciansfriend.com/
If you're going for used, try to take along a knowledgable friend who can give the stuff a decent try-out. For used, try to keep your total outlay closer to $400, then immediately take the guitar to a good repair shop and pay them to set it up for you--they'll put on new strings, adjust the neck and bridge, etc., so it's easier to play. A good set-up is essential--you'll have a much less pleasant time, and your progress will be slowed, if your action is too high. (Eventually you'll learn how to change your own strings and maybe how to do minor neck adjustment, but the beginner should consult a pro).
Each question in order:
1. Yes, not having a teacher will affect how you learn to play. Having a teacher at the outset--at least for a couple of lessons--is crucial. Only a good teacher can look at how you're holding the instrument, how you're fretting, and how you're plucking, and make corrections if needed.
The proper physical technique is essential. If you don't get it, it will slow you down horribly--not at first when you're slow anyway, but later on when you want to learn how to shred. In some cases, wrong physical technique will cause carpal tunnel or other joint/muscle maladies that will slow you down even worse.
And if you didn't know already, it's easier to learn something right the first time than it is to learn it wrong, then fight to un-learn it, and then re-learn it right.
So can I convince you to take part of that budget and hire a teacher--there ought to be one at your local all-service music store, or call a nearby university that has a guitar program--about $100 worth of lessons (say, every other week for 2 months) ought to set you up right? (I had only one stringed-instrument lesson in my life--on mandolin--from the guy who taught Joe Walsh--quality of instructor is important!)
After that, there are dozens of instruction cd-rom and dvd and books out there that will teach you the basics of guitar and of every different style of music.
2. When devoting time to playing, start slow--you're building up muscles and flexibility just like an athlete. It's a better idea to schedule several shorter practices per day; four half-hour sessions with a good rest between will give much more progress than a single three-hour session. Eventually you'll want to build up stamina, and so you'll slowly increase practice time 'til you can do a three-hour session with no trouble.
Set goals when practicing. The old cliche was "practice not for minutes, but for results."
3. If you want to go for new equipment, just about any mid-priced guitar or amp will do. Go off to the music store and tell the guy in the guitar and amp section that you're looking to start and then you'll be sitting down with a range of solid-bodies and amps. Take your time and find something that feels good under your own fingers and that sounds right to you.
With electric, the tone quality depends on pick-ups, amp, and effects. For $600 (remember I'm pulling off $100 for your lessons) you can get a rather decent guitar and amp; you could do even better if you have a knowledgable friend who can help you navigate the close-out section at http://www.musiciansfriend.com/
If you're going for used, try to take along a knowledgable friend who can give the stuff a decent try-out. For used, try to keep your total outlay closer to $400, then immediately take the guitar to a good repair shop and pay them to set it up for you--they'll put on new strings, adjust the neck and bridge, etc., so it's easier to play. A good set-up is essential--you'll have a much less pleasant time, and your progress will be slowed, if your action is too high. (Eventually you'll learn how to change your own strings and maybe how to do minor neck adjustment, but the beginner should consult a pro).
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